Skegness Log: 29-05-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
 87.6 1914 TUN RTT Radio Tataouine, Zarzis (med) OM phone caller with stuttering and distinctive
               vocal, as web. NOT Es  2342km **
 87.6 1932 CZE Radio Impuls, Brno/Kojál (JM) 2203. Unattended. Approximate time  1219km

Band 2 General Scatter:
 97.0 1050 HOL Club Bam Bam, Nunspeet (GLD) Pirate. Dutch pops, as web  378km

** Personal Skegness 'First' via the respective mode

I was stunned to hear Radio Tataouine coming through by meteor scatter this evening. This is another new personal record, but I can't help but think that the existing sporadic E event between East Sussex and Italy might have had a hand in it, which the path would have intersected. Prior to the meteor burst I had brief and very weak Es on 87.6 and had got the web streams of Chaine 3, Radio Laghouat (ALG) and Radio Tataouine up and ready as I was trying to work out where 87.6 was coming from. It faded all too quickly. I was beamed south-east at the time and seconds later a sudden meteor burst appeared for a second or so in which a hesitant and stuttering Arabic male phone caller could be heard. I realised who it was straight away and re-checked the streams. There was no question, Radio Tataouine had the same male caller, exhibiting exactly the same mannerisms. I could scarcely believe my ears as the Zarzis transmitter is 2342 km from here! Naturally I wasn't recording at the time, but I am determined to grab a recording of this in the days ahead, in the same way I caught Club Bam Bam earlier with the web stream running alongside.

Good DX!

John Faulkner, Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrAbHyPpIflDXo62HWyOiA

Receivers:
Sony XDR-F1HD with Konrad i2c modification

Aerial:
Körner 9.2, 5.5 metres above the ground. QTH is 3 metres above sea level

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical or horizontal, etc.